Gas valve



Nov.' 5, 1963 R. P. FLAGG 3,109,449

Fil

F, 2 INVENToR. 17' RAYMOND P. FLAG@ A 7' TOH/VEY Nov. 5, 1963 R. P. FLAGG 3,109,449*

AGAS VALVE:

Filed April 5, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 |33 li .637g 67 A TTORNEY United States Patent() M 3,1tl9,449 GAS VALVE Raymond P. Flagg, Minneapolis, Minn., assigner to Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company, Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation ot Delaware Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Ser.- ihlo. 100,262 8 Claims. (Cl. 137-495) This invention relates to manifold or combined valves for controlling the iiow of fuel, such as gas, to a heating plant. More particularly, the invention relates to a unitary control device which embodies a manually operable valve and a control valve which is actuated by a plurality of condition responsive power means so as to provide a single unit for controlling the flow of fuel to a furnace from a fuel source.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide in a single unit, a manually operable plug valve, a control valve in series with said plug valve, a hydraulic actuator means for the control valve, a solenoid actuator for the operation of said hydraulic means, a pressure regulator for also operating said hydraulic actuator means, a heat motor also operable on said hydraulic actuator means, and a safety switch responsive to the presence of apilot llame for controlling the energization of the solenoid and a switch operable by the heat motor for also controlling the energization of the solenoid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a manifold valve which provides a step opening of a control valve therein so that the control valve will open to a minimum flow position for fuel igniting purposes and thereafter move through a plurality of control positions in response to the demand of a condition responsive actuator for the control valve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a hydraulic valve actuating means for a control valve wherein solenoid means is adapted to act on said hydraulic valve actuating means between the solenoid and a control valve in conjunction with a hydraulic accumulator and a check valve to provide step opening of the control valve.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, in a manifold valve, a control valve having means that is adapted to provide step opening of the control valve so that a minimum iiow position of the control valve will be regulated at a low pressure and then regulated at a higher pressure when the control valve is moved to a wider open position.

A still further object of the invention is to provide pressure regulating means for controlling the outlet pressure of a control valve at a low ow rate and also control, at a much higher pressure, the outlet pressure of the control valve when it is providing a higher rate of gas ow.

Still further objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a vertical sectional view of the preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the manifold valve with portions thereof broken away;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational View of the invention with portions thereof broken away;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional view of one form of the invention, showing the solenoid actuator and hydraulic accumulator associated therewith in cross section;

FIGURE 5 is a view, similar to that of FIGURE 4, of a modification of the invention which shows a smaller part of the solenoid, a switch for controlling the energization of the solenoid and a heat motor for actuating the switch and then the hydraulic means; and

3,1%,449 Patented Nov. 5, 1963 ICC FIGURE 6 is a schematic showing of the electric power elements and the control circuit therefor.

As can be best seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the manifold valve comprises a main valve body 11 having a threaded inlet 12 and a threaded outlet 13, along with alternate threaded outlets 14 and 15.

Positioned inwardly of the inlet 12, is a conventional plug type of manually operable valve 16 having a transverse bore 17 therethrough for establishing communication between the inlet 12 and an outlet passage 18 leading from valve 16 to a control valve chamber 19.

Positioned between the chamber 19 and an outlet chamber 2li is a partition wall 21 having a bore 22 therethrough. A valve seat surrounds the inlet end of the bore.

The plug valve 16 has an arcuate groove 23 therein that extends from the outlet end of the bore 17 through an angle of approximately 50 degrees to a transverse opening 24 that leads to a filter chamber 25.. A iilter 26 is located in the chamber 2S and is retained in said chamber by means of a cover/plate Z7. Gas is adapted to flow from the chamber 25 through a groove 28 to a recess 29, both of which are also closed by lthe plate 27, and then flow from recess 29 (see FIGURE 3), through passages 3i?, 31, 32 and 33, valve seat 34, recess 35, valve passage 36, passage 37, connector fitting 38, and through a conduit (not shown) to a pilot burner of a heating installation.

The plug valve 16 is adapted to be actuated externally of the valve body by means of a handle 39 secured to the square stem 15a extending from the top of the valve 16 and through a cover plate 4t). The cover plate is secured to the body 11 by means of screws 41 and has an L- shaped extension 42 and 43 so proportioned that the portion 43 overlies the handle portion 39 and provides on, odi pilot and pilot reset indicia thereon to cooperate with a pointer 39a on the handle 39, to indicate vthe various positions of the plug valve. The plug valve, which is of conventional frusto-conical shape, is resiliently biased into seating engagement with its accommodating recess by means of av coil compression spring 1Gb positioned between the upper end of the plug valve and the cover plate dil.

To enable the plug valve to be operated from either side of the valve body, a second handle 39 is connected to a square stern projection (not shown) similar to the projection 16a. The second handle is also retained on the stem by means of an indicating arm 43a, similar to the arm 43.

Positioned over the inlet end of the bore 22, is a disc valve 44 that is resiliently and swivelly connected to the end of a ste-m 45 which, in turn, is `bolted to the free end of a lever 46. The lever 46 is pivotally connected to the valve body 11 by means of two transverselyextending and parallel arms 47 pivotally `connected to a iixed transverse pivot 4S. The lever has -a transversely extending arm 46a that is normally biased in a counterclockwise direction by means of a coil compression spring 47 extending from a recess in the valve body. The open tops of the recesses 19 and 20 are sealed by means of a housing 50i that is secured to the valve body 11, with a sealing gasket 51 therebetween, by means of `bolts (not shown) or any other suitable means.

The valve 44 is actuated by a bellows operated pin 52 which bears against the lever arm 45a on the opposite side thereof from the coil compression spring 49. A centering spring 53 exerts a slight `bias on the pin 52 against diaphragm 54. The diaphragm 54 is clamped against a shoulder of a recess 5S in the lower surface of the housing 50 by means of a ring 56. The chamber 57 between the diaphragm 54 and the upper end of the recess 5S is lled with oil or any other suitable liquid and communicates through passage 58 with a chamber 59 and through a passage 60, check valve 61 fand passage 62 with Ia chamber 63. Like chamber 57, all of the passages and other charnbers just mentioned are also iilled rwith oil so as to iform a completely liquid iilled and constant volume motion transmitting chamber.

One end of the chamber `63 is sealed with a diaphragm 64 while the other end of the chamber 63 is sealed by a diaphragm 65. The marginal edge of the diaphragm 64 is clamped to the housing Sti by means of la hanged sleeve Y 66 and cover 67, having bolts 68 extending therethrough and into the housing 50, while the diaphragm 65 has its margin-al edge clamped to la shoulder of the chamber 63 by means of -a clamping ring 69.

A solenoid coil 70 and la tube 71.1are ixedly mounted in the lchamber 63 and have -a plunger `72 extending there- Y in with one end of the `plunger connected to the diaphragm 65 by means of a threaded pin extending through the diaphragm `and through'a backing cup 73 for the diaphragm, with a nut 74 threaded onto the threaded extension. An lapertured stop 75, at one end of the solenoid tube, limits the movement of the solenoid plunger. The aperture in the stop permits the flow of oil from the plunger tube to chamber 63.

Positioned within the cover 67 and backing up the diaphragm 64, is a cup-shaped member 76 which has :a centrally disposed stem' 77 -ai'l'lxed `at one of its ends to the member 76 and extending through a spring retainer disc 78 lat its other end, and having a headed portion 7 7a limiting relative movement between the stem 77 and retainer 78. A coiled compression spring 79 extends from the spring retainer 7S Aand the ybottom of the cup-shaped member 76. YIt will be noted that in the normal position of the spring 79, the head 77a of the stern 77 abuts the spring retainer 78 to establish a normally fixed relationship between the member 76 and 7S until the spring is compressed to move these two members closer together. The

spring 79 is stronger than the spring 49 so that if there is i no obstruction to liquid How between the chamber 63 Iand the chamber 57, Vthe spring 49 will yield before the spring 79. l

Positioned Ibetween the spring retainer 78 land the outer end of the cover 67, are two bimetallic members 80 and ,81. These two bimetal members are so yarranged in the space to variably position the end of the diaphragm assembly 76, 77 and 78 to compensate -for changes in the volume of the oilin the chamber 63 and communicating chambers `and passages with changes in ambient temperature.

The elements of the appartus shown in FIGURE 4 of the drawing are in the poistions they assume when the heating system in which the manifold v-alve is located is in its oper-ating on condition. That is, the solenoid valve has pulled in in response to thermostat demand and the control valve is in an open position.

The Voutlet pressure in chamber 20 is regulated by means of a spring loaded diaphragm y82 :forming a movable wall for the chamber 59. The marginal edge of the diaphragm' is anchored `against a shoulder of the recess 59 by means of Ia clamping ring 83. A backing plate 84, iagainst which the diaphragm S2 presses in response to outlet pressure, has a stem portion 84a that is bolted to a pressure responsive diaphragm 85 Vand to its backing plates 86 and 87 on opposite sides thereof.

A spring retainer 88 is also bolted by the same stem 84a against the backing plate 87 and positions one end of compression spring 89. The other end of compression spring 89 bears against a Washer 90 which, in turn, surrounds Ia movement limiting sleeve 91 having an inwardly extending flange 91a intermediate the length of the compression spring 89. A second motion limiting sleeve 92 has an outwardly extending lian-ge 92a that normally engages the inwardly extending flange 91a but has relative movement ywith respect thereto. The other end of the sleeve 92 has an inwardly extending flange 92]: that is engaged by a compression spring 93. The other end of the spring 93 bears kagainst a U-shaped yoke 94 having centrally disposed larms 94a that center the compression spring 93 on the yoke and has Iarms that straddle the spring 93 with transversely and outwardly extending lu-gs 94C that are engaged by the free ends of a pair of lever 'arms 95 for ladjust-ing the position of the end of the spring 93. The lever larms 95 are pivoted on a housing 96 for the springs by means of pivot 97, crossbars 98 `and 99 make the lever arms 95 a rigid unit While the c-rossbar 99 also serves as `abutment means dor an adjustment screw 1100 that is adjustably threaded in the housing 96. A sealing plug 101 closes the opening to the adjustment screw 100.

rPhe left-hand end of the compression spring 89 is similarly `adjusted by means of a pair of levers 102 bearing against outwardly extending lugs 90a extending diametrically from the periphery of the washer 90. A crossbar 103 rigidly connects the two levers y102 and has an arm 104 that is engaged by an adjusting screw 105 also threaded in the housing 96 and covered by a sealing plug 106.

Access to the springs is provided by -a sealing plug 107 threaded into the housing 96 while 'atmospheric air has laccess to the interior of housing 96 through a hollow sealing plug 1&8 having a bleed orifice 10th: therein. A chamber a, 'between the diaphragme S5 `and S2, is connected to outlet chamber 20 through passage 20a.

The pressure regulating units are so designed that when the solenoid is energized and the valve 44 is opening, the diaphragm 85 moves slightly to the left, as viewed in FIG- URE 1, to provide a gap of about .060 of an inch between the spring retainer -88 and the inwardly extending llilange 92h, to provide pressure regulation of about one inch water: column pressure tor the outlet gas pressure. When Athe diaphragm 85 is loaded still more by further opening of the control valve, the member 88 engages the flange 9Zb and moves the sleeve 92 toward the left and thereby additionally picks up the loading of spring 93. With both springs S9 and 93 acting against the diaphragm 85, the outlet gas pressure in chamber 26 will be maintained at about three and one-half inches water column pressure.

The above mentioned step opening of the control valve 44, to provide stepped pressure operation, isthe result of the use of the check valve 61 in the passages 62 and 60 leading from fthe chambers 63 around the solenoid and the chamber 57 over the diaphragm actuator for the control walve 44, the chamber 57 being directly connected with the chamber 59 at the pressure regulator through passage 58. The check valve 61 is normally held in the position shown in FIGURE `l of the drawing by means of compression spring 61a. As shown in the drawing the front end of the cup-shaped check va-lve 61 is in line with the right hand end of 'the enlarged diameter bore Gtia of passage 60 so that initial ow from the chamber 63 will first cause the cup-shaped check valve 61 to move to the left-hand end of the bore 60a, where it will be stopped from further movement, and then the oil from chamber 63 must pass through the small oriiice 61!) in the check valve 61 to cause slow movement of oil from the soleno-id chamber.

It is thus seen that initial energization of the solenoid will cause quick movement of the control valve -to a slightly open position to provide a minimum ilow of gas for ignitinfg purposes, to prevent flashback or roll-out, and 'then move at a slower rate to a wider open position of the control valve for normal L"low fire operation.

By the provision of the accumulator spring 79, the solenoid plunger is able to move to its full extent into the solenoid tube, to develop its maximum power, without developing an over pressure in chamber `63. The spring 79, which exerts a minimum force of 2.15 p.s.i as compared with a minimum closing force of 1.30 psi, on the closing spring, provides the means for continuing the flow While in some valve designs it might be possible to rely on the spring rate of the bimetallic members 80 and 81 as accumulator springs, there are three advantages in the use of the overpressure spring 79. First, it allows the solenoid to pull in within two seconds, since the spring rate is lower than the bimetals. Second, it exerts 2.15 p.s.i. to 2.5 p.s.i., as compared to nearly 8 p.s.i. when using the bimetals, -to cause the oil to iiow through the check valve orice at a slower rate and, thereby, givin-g more time on the step. Third, it reduces the load or pressure on the sleeve bellows or pressure diaphragms to prevent damage thereto.

A modification of the invention, shown in FIGURE of lthe drawing, shows nol overpressure spring associated with diaphragm 64 and its back-up plate 76a to provide gas accumulation thereby, -but makes use of a solenoid similar to that shown in FIGURE 4 but having a shorter travel for the solenoid plunger. In lthis arrangement, the plunger moves only sufficiently to cause the movement of the control valve to its low tire rate position and relies on a heat motor 11() to provide the additional movement of the control valve to its high iire operating positions. A pair of bimetallic members 111 and 1-12 provide ambient temperature compensation to maintain an effective constant volume to the oil in the motion transmitting passages and chambers, while one of fthe bimetallic members 1112 has a contact engaging member 1*12a thereon that slides thrilgh an apertured guide plate 109 and bears against a iiexible blade 113 carrying a Contact 11-4 at one end thereof.

The heater motor i110 is positioned between two bimetallic members 115 and 116. The position of bimetal 11'6 .is adjustable by means of a plate 117. The adjustment plate has an aperture therein through which a reduced diameter portion of an adjusting screw 118 extends. The screw is threaded through a stepped washer 119 which, in turn, is secured to ya housing 121? by means of spot welds. A locking nut 121 holds the adjusting screw 1-.18 in its adjusted position,

A second tiexible contact arm 122 carries a contact button '123 at its free end and is adapted to be actuated by a stem 124 secured to a disc 125. The stem extends through an aperture in the cover 67a and is surrounded by a coil compression spring 1126 that extends between the housing 67a and the disc 125. One of a pair of bimetal members 126 and y127 bears against the disc 1215 while the other of said pair of bimetal discs bears against a spacer plate or disc 12S. These bimetal discs provide ambient compensation for the heater bimetal members 115 and 116. A spacer disc 129 bears against the bimetal 115 while the two spacer discs 128 and 129 are separated by a spacer washer 130. The discs and washer are preferably made of heat insulating material to prevent heat from the heat motor 110 from overly affecting the bimctals 126 and 127.

The other end of flexible contact blade 113 is biased against a lead terminal 131 while the other end of contact blade i122 is soldered to lead wire 132 connected to one end of the heater wire (not shown) of heat motor 110. Terminal 131 is connected by lead wire 133 to one end of the coil 7l) of the solenoid. The other end of the co-il 70 is connected by a lead wire 134 to the secondary coil `135 of a transformer 136. Both the lead wire 132 from the heat motor and the contact blade 122 are connected by the same weld 137 to a lead bar 14301 of contact 148. Contact 148 `is connected through a Contact bar I1416, contact 147 and lead wire 138 to the other side of the secondary transformer coil f135. A second lead wire 139 from the heat motor 110 is connected to a terminal which is connected by a lead wire 140a to a iixed contact 140 of a room thermostat 141. A movable contact arm 142 of the room thermostat is connected through lead wire 143 to a heater `144 for the room thermostat, with the other end of the heater 144 connected by a lead wire 145 to the 6 lead wire 134 through a terminal on the terminal block 50a.

In order to prevent unsafe operation of the control valve when there is no pilot ilame to ignite the gas passing through the control valve, a safety switch, incorporating contact bar 146, is adapted to break the connection between the two fixed contacts 147 and 14S in the line 13S to the transformer. The ,Contact bar is normally biased against the fixed contacts by means of a coil compression spring 149 but is adapted to be actuated away from the lixed contacts by means of a headed plunger 15) connected to an armature 151. A coil compression spring 152 normally biases the head 15Go on the stem against a iioating lever 153 to overcome the spring 14B` but is adapted to be compressed to move the armature 151 into vengagement with an electromagnet 154 where it will be held against the bias of the spring 152 so long `as the magnet is energized. The magnet is 'of the type that is energized by a thermocouple heated by a pilot burner, neither of which is illustrated in the drawing. A stem 155, having an enlarged diameter portion 156 that bears against the contact bar 146, extends through an aperture in one end of the floating lever 153 and is guided in its movement by sliding in a groove 157 in the terminal block 55a.

A pilot valve 158, adapted to cooperate with the valve seat 34 to lcontrol the flow of gas through bore 33 to a pilot burner, is slidably mounted in a `sleeve-shaped bolt 159 threaded into the housing 50. The pilot valve has a stem 169 that extends through and. beyond the sleeve bolt 159 and through a U-shaped guide member 161 having outwardly iiared arm-s 161g that are adapted to guide a forked end of the lever 153 between the legs of the U-shaped member so that the forks of the lever straddle the stem and it into a groove in and near the extending end of the stem. The base of the U-shaped member 16.1 has suiiicient width to cooperate with a shoulder 162 on the housing 5G to prevent rotation of the guide member so as to always position .it to perform its function. A coil compression spring 163 normally biases the valve 15S away from the valve seat 34 but is Iadapted to be compressed `or overridden by the spring 152 when the electromagnet 154 becomes de-energized.

The lever 153 is adapted to be actuated to open the pilot valve l158 and to set the armature 151 against the magnet 154, while holding the: contact bar 146 out of engagement vwith the xed contacts 147 `and 14S, by means `orf plunger 164 slidable `in a groove 165 in the housing 50. A coil compression sprin-g 166 normally biases the plunger 164 away from the lever 153 but is adapted to tbe sli-d against the lever 153 to pivot the lever 153 about the head 150m of the armature member while simultaneously opening the valve 158 and resetting the armature against the magnet and holding the switch 146, 147 and 148 lopen.

The plunger 164 is actuated by means lof an L-shaped lever 167 pivoted von the housing or body portion 11 by means of a pivot pin 163. Lever 167 has an arm 167a extending over the plug valve 16 so as .to be engaged by a lug (not shown) rotatable with the plug valve. When the plug valve is in its pilot position, yand the plug valve is rot-ated lfrom the pilot position to the pilot reset position, the lug will cause pivotal `movement of the lever 167 to move the plunger 164 to the right and to actuate the pilot valve and armature. After the pilot burner hasbeen lighted and the electromagnet 154 thas been energized, return movement of the plug valve to the pilot or on position will permit the spring 149 to move the contact bar against fixed contacts 147 and 148 'and to pivot the lever 153 against the bias of spring 163 to partially return valve 158 towards its valve seat 34, but still leaving the valve 158 in an open position. It is thus seen that the spring 149 will hold the contact bar 146 against 147 and 148, to complete the circuit from the transformer through the heat motor and to the .modulation of the gas flow to the main burner.

a solenoid switch 12S-114, while tie spring 163 will hold the pilot valve 158 fopen, to provide the iiow of gas to the pilot burner. However, should the handle 39 be moved to the pilot or on position prior to the pil-ot burner becoming properly lighted or burning a sufficient time to energize the thermocouple connected to the elecmagnet, the armature 151 will be Imoved out `of engagement with the electromagnet -by the spring 152 to Aopen the contacts 1417, 148 and 146 and close the pilot valve 15S. It is thus assured that there can be no flow of main gas to the main bumer unless there is a pilot burner flame of sutlicient intensity to cause ignition thereof. Y

Operation The manifold valve and its control system, embodying the design of 'FIGURE 5, are illustrated as being in an operating but off condition. That is, the plug valve 16 is in its open position, the safety valve and safety switch are in ltheir open and closed positions, respectively. However, the -room thermostat is shown -in a satised conditi-on which means that the solenoid coil 70 is deenergized and the heat motor 1111 is also cie-energized, causing contacts 123` and 114!- to be separated.

Should the temperature surrounding the room thermostat drop lsufliciently to cause the contact 142 to engage contact 145-0, `the heat motor llltl will become energized to cause warping of the bimetal 115 and 116 to cause movement of the contact 123- int-o engagement with the .Contact 114. Closing of the contacts 114 and 123 causes energization yof the solenoid rand the movement of the solenoid plunger into the solenoid tube. Oil from the solenoid chamber will move through passage 63 to force the check valve 611 to the left, away from spring 61a, and force the diaphragm 54 downwardly to crack the valve y44 open and to .move the diaphragm 82 `to the left to slightly load the diaphragm 85 and its biasing spring 89 so lthat when lgas pressure is present in the chamber 20, this gas pressure will pass through passage 20a to chamber 85a to provide gas pressure regulation at the very low gas pressure. This gas pressure is approximately one inch water column and is sufficient to supply enough gas to the main 4burner to provide proper ignition to the burner by the pilot burner. Thereafter, the heat motor, which is of the Lheat storage type so that -i-t will respond to the heat demand as determined by the Variations in the time yon :and -time off cycling of the 'room thermostat, causes the contact member 114 to move the diaphragm 64 toward the left, the valve 44 will be moved to -a wider open position causing an increase in the outlet pressure in chamber 20 with a corresponding increase in the pressure in chamber 85a to the right of diaphragm 85. This will cause the diaphragm 85 to compress the spring 89 and cause the diaphragm to pick up the spring 93. Thereafter, the gas outlet pressure will be regulated by the combined forces of the springs 89' and 93 to provide `a gas outlet pressure of about three and one-half inch water column.

VIf desired, the check valve 61 may be eliminated from the modification incorporating the heat motor 110l as the travel of the plunger in that modification is only enough to move the valve to its minimum flow position and the heat motor is slow acting.

The degree of opening `and closing of the valve 44 will correspond with the hea-t demand by the room thermostat which causes more or less heat to be thrown into the heat motor as the load increases and decreases to provide AS the demand for heat gradually decreases, reverse action takes place with respect to the various parts of the manifold valve described above with the exception that when fthe solenoid is de-energized, the spring 49 can quickly move the diaphragm '54 upwardly to permit closing of the valve 44 by moving the check valve 61 into engagement with the spring V61u and then against the bias of the spring to dump the oil from passage 6%) into the passage 62 and to the solenoid chamber. Thus, when the gas has been modulated down -to a low gas supply pressure and to a heat demand that causes breaking of the contacts 114 and 23, the valve will close quickly and not to the cracked open position as determined by the initial opening of the valve for ignition purposes. In other rwords, while the valve i4 moves quickly to an ignition flow rate, followed by a slow movement from the ignition rate to a low iire rate, t-he valve quickly closes from the low fire rate past the ignition rate to the complete oit position.

In the modification of FIGURE 4, wherein no heat motor is. used, then the solenoid is controlled solely by the room thermostat, control valve 44 will open and close with each closing and opening of the room thermostat contacts. Also, in this modification of the invention, it is necessary that the plunger 72 move a greater distance than the plunger of the modification of FIGURE 5. In other words, since the total displacement of the valve 44 from its seat is determined by the amount of oil forced into the chamber 57, it is necessary that the plunger '72 and diaphragm `65 have sufficient movement to fully open the control valve. For this reason, it is much more desirable to have an overpressure accumulator for -this modiication than for the modiiication of FlGURE 5.

While I have ydescribed the preferred embodiments of the invention above, it is to be understood that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that the scope of the invention is to be determined from the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are idened as follows:

l. A valve comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and valve means therebetween, power means for actu-ating said valve, motion transmitting means between said power means and said valve means, time delay means cooperating with said power means and said valve means through said transmit-ting means for causing said valve means to move quickly to a minimum-flow position and thereafter move more slowly to a wider open position, and means responsive to outlet pressure and operably connected to said valve means by said transmitting means to regulate said valve means to maintain one pressure at a minimum dow rate and a substantially higher pressure at -a substantially greater flow rate.

2. A control device comprising a housing, an energy control member movable in said housing between an off position `and la minimum-flow position and a plurality of on positions, liquid motion transmitting means for moving said energy control member, electric power means operable on said liquid motion transmitting means for moving said energy control member, said transmitting means including means associated with said electric power means to cause it lto lirst quickly move said energy control member to a minimum ow position and then more slowly to a greater flow position, condition responsive means operable to rst close a circuit to said electric power means and then -to variably act-uate said liquid motion transmitting means to vary the position of said energy control member according to the demand for said energy, and means responsive to the rate of supply of said energy and operable on said liquid motion transmitting means to variably position said energy control member to maintain a uniform energy output according to the demand of said condition responsive means.

3. A control device comprising a housing, an energy con-trol member movable in said housing between an ofi position and `a minimum-flow position and a plurality of on positions, liquid motion transmitting means for moving said energy control member, power means operable on saidV liquid motion transmitting means for moving said energy control member, said transmitting means including means associated with said power means to cause it to first quickly move said energy control member to a minimum flow position and then more slowly to a greater ow position, condition responsive means operable to iirst cause operation of said power means to variably actuate said liquid motion transmitting means t vary the position of said energy control member according to the demand for said energy, and condition responsive means responsive to the rate of supply of `said energy yand operable on said liquid motion transmitting means to variably position said energy control member to maintain `a uniform energy output according to the demand of said condition responsive means.

4. A control device comprising la tiuid housing, a control valve movable in said housing between an off position and a minimum-flow position and a plurality of on positions, liquid motion transmitting means for moving said control valve, power means operable on said liquid motion transmitting means for moving said control valve, said transmitting means including means associated with said power means to cause it to first quickly move said control valve to its minimum flow position and then more slowly to a further open position, condition responsive means operable to rst cause operation of said power means and then to variably actuate said liquid motion transmitting means to vary the position of said control valve according to the demand for said energy, and means responsive to uid pressure in said valve for actuating said liquid motion transmitting means to variably position said energy control member to maintain a -uniform energy output according to the demand of said condition responsive means, said pressure responsive means having a pair of normally inoperative springs which are sequentially brought into operation -as said liquid motion transmitting means is actuated to provide stepped pressure regulation.

5. In a control valve, the combination comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve in said body for engaging said seat, motion transmitting means for actuating said valve, condition responsive means operable on said motion transmitting means to variably position said valve, means responsive to outlet pressure and operable on said motion transmitting means to regulate said pressure in accordance with the demand of said condition responsive means, said pressure responsive means having a iirst spring that is operative to regulate outlet pressure when said valve is in a minimum-How position and a second spring which is inactive when said valve is in said minimum flow position but becomes active by being operably engaged by said pressure responsive means When said condition responsive means operates on said motion transmitting means to open said valve wider and to compress said first spring an additional amount.

6. In a control valve, the combination comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve in said body for engaging said seat, liquid motion transmitting means for actuating said valve, condition responsive means operable on said liquid motion transmitting means to variably position said valve, means responsive to outlet pressure and operable on said liquid motion transmitting means to regulate said pressure in accordance with the demand of said condition responsive means, said pressure responsive means having a iirst spring that is operative to regulate outlet pressure when said valve is in a minimum-flow position and a second spring Vwhich is inactive when said valve is in said minimum flow position but becomes active by being operably engaged by said pressure responsive means when said condition responsive means operates on said liquid motion transmitting means to open said valve wider and to compress said iirst spring an additional amount.

7. In a control valve, the combination comprising a valve body having an inlet and an outlet and a valve seat therebetween, a valve in said body for engaging said seat, motion transmitting means for actuating said valve, condition responsive means including an on-of actuator and a modulating actuator operable on said motion transmitting means to variably position said valve, means responsive to outlet pressure and operable on said motion transmitting means to regulate said pressure in accordance with the demand of said condition responsive means, said pressure responsive means having a iirst spring that is 0perative to regulate outlet pressure when said valve is in a minimum-flow position and a second spring which is inactive when said valve is in said minimum ow position but becomes active by being operably engaged by said pressure responsive means when said condition responsive means operates on said motion transmitting means to open said valve wider and to compress said first spring an additional amount.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein the operation of said on-oi actuator is controlled by the operation of said modulating actuator.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,478,040 Campbell et al Aug. 2, 1949 2,635,637 Karrer Apr. 21, 1953 2,827,076 Obermaier Mar. 18, 1958 2,899,972 Matthews Aug. 18, 1959 2,925,986 Woods Feb. 23, 1960 2,980,133 Cooper Apr. 18, 1961 2,982,300 Jackson et al. May 2, 1961 

1. A VALVE COMPRISING A VALVE BODY HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET AND VALVE MEANS THEREBETWEEN, POWER MEANS FOR ACTUATING SAID VALVE, MOTION TRANSMITTING MEANS BETWEEN SAID POWER MEANS AND SAID VALVE MEANS, TIME DELAY MEANS COOPERATING WITH SAID POWER MEANS AND SAID VALVE MEANS THROUGH SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS FOR CAUSING SAID VALVE MEANS TO MOVE QUICKLY TO A MINIMUM-FLOW POSITION AND THEREAFTER MOVE MORE SLOWLY TO A WIDER OPEN POSITION, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO OUTLET PRESSURE AND OPERABLY CONNECTED TO SAID VALVE MEANS BY SAID TRANSMITTING MEANS 